jake's famous crawfish

Jake's Famous Crawfish kicks off my ongoing "Stark Street Relief" series - rediscovering the burgeoning blocks between Ringler's Annex on Thirteenth and continuing down Stark Street to the freakishly hip Ace Hotel and the artsy Living Room Theaters at Tenth. I will be adding more coverage on the new Mcmenamins Hotel in downtown Portland, and I plan to check out Kenny and Zuke's deli as well as Clyde Commons. I will point out ways to enjoy the swank Living Room Theaters on the cheap.



Speaking of "on the cheap," I couldn't recommend Jake's happy hour more*. The star of the menu is the $1.95 Tillamook cheeseburger (!) with fries - FRIES, mind you! - complete with half a dill and mayo for dippin'. Also available for 2 bones is the spinach and artichoke dip, the blackened chicken sammich, pork pot stickers, shrimp spring rolls, tuna sushi rolls, and salmon cakes.

For 3.95:
Fried calimari
Buffalo chicken wings
Fried frog legs (interesting....)
Hawaiian BBQ pork ribs
Fried Shrimp

For 4.95:
Steamed mussels
Cod fish & chips
BBQ chicken quesadilla
Seafood soft tacos

The drinks aren't discounted (5 bucks a pint, but they have some unique selections on tap), but that's fine if you're just gonna grab a bite and a beer or two to kick off the night. Happy hour runs 4-6pm m-f, 9-close sun-thurs, and 10-close fri/sat. It can be hard to find a table at times; your best bet is to show up on a sunny day and enjoy sidewalk seating. I hear Jake's Grill down the street has similar deals, but I have yet to check it out.

SW 12th and Stark, downtown portland


*This is a lie. I could complain about the $5 pints, but that's just nitpicking.